14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this week, on March 25, Japanese multinational corporation Honda cut the ribbon on a so-called Smart Home US that is located on the West Village campus of the University of California, Davis.
On its website, Honda details that this home is fitted with solar photovoltaics, and that the yearly energy output of this 9.5kW installation is enough to power not just the household, but also a Honda Fit EV for daily commuting.
Besides, the Japanese corporation maintains that, apart from providing enough energy for both the household and said vehicle, the Smart Home US' solar photovoltaics roll out a yearly surplus of energy of 2.6 MWh.
Otherwise put, this home produces more green energy on site than itself and the electric vehicle it accommodates for require to keep up and running throughout the course of an entire year.
“Honda today marked the opening of Honda Smart Home US, showcasing technologies that enable zero net energy living and transportation,” Honda writes on its website.
“The home, located on the West Village campus of the University of California, Davis, is capable of producing more energy on-site from renewable sources than it consumes annually, including enough energy to power a Honda Fit EV for daily commuting,” it adds.
Truth be told, the Smart Home US' producing more energy than it consumes is not entirely due to the fact that the solar photovoltaics that it is fitted with are mind-blowingly gifted at harvesting green energy and turning it into electricity.
On the contrary, the home also owes its non-existent ecological footprint to its home energy management system and energy efficient design. Thus, Honda estimates that, thanks to these features, the Smart Home US uses less than 50% of the power that a run-off-the-mill household of a similar size goes through throughout the course of a year for heating, cooling and lighting.
Besides, the Japanese corporation claims that its house is about three times more water efficient than regular households of its size, which makes it even more environmentally friendly.
Honda details that, apart from sporting a photovoltaic system, its Smart Home is made environmentally friendly by the fact that the Honda Fit EV it comes with has been modified to be charged with DC power originating either from the household's solar panels or from a battery.
What's more, the home relies on geothermal radiant heating and cooling, and the LED lighting that it is fitted with is about five times more efficient than conventional one. The Japanese corporation also opted for sustainable material when building the home, and the household was designed in such a way that it makes the most of natural light and ventilation.
According to Honda, work on this Smart Home began in April 2013. Now that it has been completed, the household is to be inhabited by a member of the UC Davis community. Thus, this Smart Home US will serve to help researchers and experts working with the University and Honda pin down ways to promote sustainability.
As the Japanese corporation explains, “The home will function as a living laboratory where the company, along with researchers from UC Davis and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), will evaluate new technologies and business opportunities at the intersection of housing, transportation, energy and the environment.”
Check out the video below to learn more about this project, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
